Giannis Antetokounmpo adds more fuel to future Lakers fire

There is no other team in the NBA that has had as many superstars as the Los Angeles Lakers. Last year the NBA released its all-time top 75 players in honor of the league’s 75th anniversary. ESPN ranked those players; four of the top five and six of the top 11 have suited up in the purple and gold.

For that reason, it has become an expectation among the fanbase that after the current set of superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lake Show will move on to other bonafide stars. With the 2023-24 season potentially being LeBron’s last in LA, that future may be sooner than expected.

One very interesting name that has entered the conversation this offseason is Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis opened the door to potentially leave Milwaukee with a New York Times interview earlier this summer. The Greek Freak has since doubled down and is making it seem much more likely that he could be a Laker in the not-so-distant future.

Giannis Antetokounmpo adds more fuel to the future Lakers fire

This is a clear message to the Milwaukee Bucks that Giannis will not stick around if the team is not competing for a championship. He likely is not going to force his way out of Milwaukee like other NBA stars but he could gracefully exit and pursue a situation that is better for him.

Milwaukee can do everything in its power to keep Giannis to stay but the future still looks bleak. Many of the team’s future first-round picks are tied up because of previous trades. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are only getting older. The writing is on the wall for the Bucks to hit a hard reset button with Giannis when the time comes.

That opens a brand-new door for Giannis and there are going to be a lot of teams that are taking meetings to bring him in. Giannis has made it very clear that his biggest priority is winning and that gives the Lakers an advantage over other teams like the New York Knicks.

Giannis can opt out of his contract after the 2024-25 season and at that point, he would be entering his age 31 season. He would still have another 3-4 prime years left in him. Los Angeles could absolutely win a title with him and AD leading the ship.

It is also perfect timing for the Lakers. Even if LeBron does stick around and opts into his contract after the 2023-24 season, he will only have one more year remaining. Los Angeles will be freeing up a max contract slot the same summer that Giannis could hit the market.

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